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Had enough of the way their club was being run into the ground; of the lack of infrastructure and the negative headlines, of how Forest seemed to lurch from one blunder to another.

And on January 21, that all came to a head as fans gathered in the Peter Taylor Stand car park to protest against the Kuwaiti’s ownership.

The previous October, a “Fawaz out” banner had been unfurled at the game against Reading, but in the following months, with no sign of improvements – or a change at the top, following the collapsed takeover attempt by John Jay Moores - tensions had only increased.

Stan Collymore joined in the protest against Fawaz Al Hasawi

A simple tweet from 16-year-old fan Nathan Fletcher proved to be something of a call to arms.

The teenager posted of his intention to protest against Al Hasawi ahead of the home game against Bristol City, and it turned out many others backed his plan – including Stan Collymore.

The former Forest striker was among the large crowd which congregated in the car park on a bleak afternoon, and he proved to be a focal point as supporters chanted for him and against Al Hasawi.

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Collymore had been vocal on Twitter about getting behind the cause and said on the day he was “genuinely concerned how the club is going”.

It was a sentiment which struck a chord with many – and they ensured that concern was voiced.

They brought banners and posters that day, let off a smoke bomb and sung chant after chant – with the strength of their feelings made abundantly clear.

That didn’t stop them from getting behind the team when the action kicked off, though, with the Reds going on to win the game 1-0.

Nottingham Forest fans march from Bolero Square to the City Ground in protest at owner Fawaz Al Hasawi (Image: Joseph Raynor)

But nor was that the end of the matter.

Another protest on transfer deadline day, when Rotherham United came to town, did not go ahead, but there was a march on the City Ground just a few days later.

Before the clash with Aston Villa on February 4, supporters met in the city's Bolero Square and walked down to the stadium in another demonstration against the chairman. Once again, flags, banners and some not-quite-family-friendly songs got an airing.